The Moon is perhaps the most confusing card in the deck. That is not surprising, though, because one of the key words for the Moon is "confusion." Other key words are "treachery," "illusion," "deceit," "lunacy," "hidden enemies," "psychic work," "magick," "feminine spirituality," "spirituality," "mysteries."

How can one card have such a spectrum of meanings, ranging from danger to confusion to spirituality?

Historically, the actual moon has always been associated with feminine spirituality, i.e. witchcraft. In earlier times, people feared the spiritual power that comes from magick, especially as performed by women. I often think that the demonizing of Major Arcana 18 reflected the sexism of the times in which the early tarotists lived.

But there is a thin line between psychic and psychotic, and between illusion and clarity. Things in the moonlight appear differently than they really are. This is a beautiful allegory for our search for our true spiritual path; our search for enlightenment.

It is easy to miss the path as we journey toward our spiritual truth. It is easy to become waylaid, and taken in by illusion.

Many people see the Moon card as a warning, and maybe it is. Maybe it is a warning for us to trust our intuition, for us to stay on our path and not be fooled by those who would tempt us off it.

The Moon falls in the last third of the Major Arcana, which I see as the journey toward spiritual enlightenment. In its placement between the Star and the Sun we see the need to find our own truth, to pay attention to our dreams and to solve our own spiritual mysteries.

When the Moon comes up in a reading, it often suggests the need to focus on spiritual matters. It may tell you to pay attention to your dreams. It may suggest you have some mysteries in your life that need to be solved. It may tell you to be careful what you trust.

About the Author

Christiana has been a full-time tarot professional for more than twenty years, and is the author of two books about tarot. In 2008, Christiana was granted the title of Tarot Grandmaster by the Tarot Certification Board of America. Christiana provides readings by phone, Facetime and Skype, and in her office in Palm City, Florida.